Fall Awesomeness, a crafting and life update

I didn't intend to stop blogging, but I think that I got so caught up in school and family that it just got put aside.  I'm so happy that fall is here, and try to keep our windows open as much as possible to allow for the fresh air.  Newton is in heaven, spending hours out in the sun, then shade taking cat naps. I think that he soaks up so much sunshine out there that he smells like sunshine.  That, combined with brushing him has made him the softest thing-ever! He seems to have so much more energy when he's able to go outside on our porch.  He's been playing non-stop for the last 5 hours!

I have a rule about crocheting--I seem to only be able to do it when it is cool out.  That said, as soon as the weather cooled a little I dug out my yarn and started to work on finishing projects that I started last year, and put aside.  I had trouble finding the hat pattern I had been working on,  but thanks to my awesome friend, was able to reconnect.  This time I pinned it with pinterest so that I wouldn't lose it! I'm learning to seriously love pinterest. Thanks to KikiVerde for introducing me.  My first project of the year was making this hat. I made it in purple

I really really want to make some handwarmers, so I started making these, but 5,000 or so single crochet stitches gets boring really quickly.  Hats seem to work faster, so I am having fun working on those.  I also sold one of my necklaces, so I need to make some new stock before our table at Magfest in January!

I also love baking in the fall, especially apple pie! Somehow I managed to forget which kind of apples to use, so this pie turned to mush but...it was tasty mush.  I'm planning on going apple picking this weekend so I can pick up some good baking apples, and some for applesauce too!

For the record-the husband ate this

A couple of weeks ago, we went to my friend's son's pirate themed birthday party! My husband had fun acting like a pirate. He impressed the birthday boy with his eyepatch! The picture is actually of a sticker on his eye, but he brought his real eyepatch too.  Lots of fun.

I married a pirate!

I am hoping to do a give away soon! My friends have created a new etsy shop  and are having lots of fun being creative. I hope to work on this next week.

This weekend--Ren fest, and apple picking! I'm excited.  I had really hoped to put up my pictures from my in-laws visit, but my husband's computer CRASHED...several times and the server with all our pictures is connected. Soon--promise!

Countdown to Operation Full House

The real countdown starts today--one week until my wonderful in-laws will be here! One will until we meet them at the airport, instead of us having to go out there.  I don't think there is a better feeling than walking off of a plane, through the doors and seeing people that love you standing there waiting for you.  Oh it warms my heart to think about it!!  They always do it for us, and I can't wait to do it for them.  Plus, they'll feel like it is much earlier so we can keep them up late.

The guest bed is almost ready.  We picked up a box spring last night, tied it to the top of the SUV and drove the two miles home...slowly.  My husband tied all the doors shut (with me in) and then did a HILARIOUS contortionist act to get in.  Crap, he's going to cause me grievous injury me for mentioning this. (love you baby!!) Hubs was trying his hardest to get the slats made, but mother nature decided that hail was more important than my guest bed.  It will get done, along with a shower curtain and then we will be a go.  My husband might be slow to get stuff done, but since I started stressing about having the guest room done a month ago, he has been great at getting stuff done.

My mom comes in on Saturday.  If it seems that I'm not as excited about seeing her, it is because she isn't too far away and I get to see her frequently whereas I get to see my in-laws 1-2 times per year.  I am excited at seeing her, and while my in-laws go visit some other friends for a couple of days I hope to take her to the zoo. I have been promising for far too long and it's time I go back!  I'm also really psyched that my dad will get to come spend some time out here, as he still hasn't seen our house and I think the last time he saw Newton he was a teeny widdle kitten.  The day we got Newton we left the house where we picked him up, and went to meet my dad to direct him to our new house.  Newton purred the entire time, like he knew he was going to a good home.  Of course, the next time the poor thing was in the cat carrier he umm..had his manly bits removed, so he isn't exactly fond of it anymore. How did I get from dad to kitten?  Anyways, I'm excited to have all these awesome people coming to share my abode...plus now instead of just me wanting to cook there will be 4 people wanting to cook (my dad is an amazing BBQ'ing god). Food...yum.

This weekend is also going to be awesome since our friends from WV decided to come out to visit.  They only gave me 48 hrs notice, so I don't have enough time (or inclination) to stress about it.  They won't care if my house is a little messy, as long as the toddler can't pull something down and conk himself on the head.  Actually I'm pretty sure he will do this at least once, but as long as we watch, he should escape too much injury.  If he tries riding my cat though, all bets are off.  I have to go to orientation for school on Saturday morning, but hopefully we can get some fun stuff in this weekend and my husband can get some video games in with his friend.

Oh food porn--I made spiced quinoa for dinner but I made a few changes to my own past recipe. First, I went back to Roni's original recipe and added a pear instead of apple. I realized that if you get the pear before it is overripe, they aren't gritty. I can dig that.  It was a little harder than perhaps optimal, but it was still sweet and the texture was like a firm apple.  I also added some raspberries that I picked up today.  Delish. I needed to up my fruit intake and I think that this dinner did it.  I think I ate it all...well...whatever didn't burn to the bottom of the pot because I opened the lid of the quinoa and that always makes it overcook.  Note to readers: when cooking quinoa, don't open the lid...no joke, it makes it burn to the bottom. I think I might want to cut the time from 12 to 11 minutes, but I'm pretty convinced that opening the lid to check on it damned me.  If you check the link up there out, you'll see that I said this same thing months ago when I wrote the original post.  I shall never learn.

I'm sure I will be back soon with lots of pictures of adorable drooling children. I anticipate lots of snuggles, and mess.  I also anticipate Henry hiding under our bed looking terrified (which is how he normally looks).

Does your cat do this?

I have an awesome cat. No, seriously, he is really awesome...when he isn't dropping toys on my face at 2am and not covering his poop (although the other cat might be the chief poop offender).  My husband was in the basement doing some work when Newton...being his normal curious self decided to investigate what was in the tool box.  The hubby decided to make him a toy by taking a zip tie, closing it and the cutting the 'tail' off. Newton is OBSESSED with this thing (he has 3 now) and they are bright orange, although my husband thinks they are pink (he's colorblind).  I finally got video of him fetching but this cat has been doing this since we got him more than two years ago.  His best trick is dropping his toys from the top landing of our stairs through the banister, then rushing downstairs to get it, and back up again.  This is why he is named Sir. Isaac Fig Newton Ward.

He was being really good and actually bringing me to, instead of dropping right out of my reach and then staring at me to get up and get it.

I wish I could send you a smell... (an adventure in homemade granola)

No, seriously.  My kitchen smells AMAZING right now. Why you ask?  Because I embarked on yet another food making odyssey to make homemade granola. Granola cooking might be the best smell ever. It might actually beat baking bread for me right now, and I love bread.  My mom swears she made this stuff when I was a kid, so maybe that is where that ingrained love of the smell of baking granola comes from.

I have been struggling lately with being really tired and having no energy. I'm not sure if I'm sick, or if it is diet (all the crap I ate on 'vacation' catching up with me)or getting used to a new routine of working out, but today by the grace of God, and a lot of caffeine (chai at lunch...they really should cut me off after the fifth mug of it...the mugs are little though) I managed to get my house cleaned, laundry done so my husband has pants to wear to work, and some cooking done.

I think I was laying in bed this morning when I started thinking of the nuts and such I would need, that I didn't already have, to make granola.  It was time for a trip to Trader Joe's.  I think the clincher was that I was out of raisins, and that just wouldn't do.

I figured the recipe couldn't be that difficult (it isn't) and that as long as I didn't let it burn into a molten mass on a cooking sheet, it would be edible enough to pass off to my husband.  I picked up some cashews (roasted but unsalted), two different  types of raisins; since I like them on everything, and some pressed dried mango to chop up to put in the granola when it was done.
Tonight I was planning on making yogurt, since my landlady gave me a starter of her amazing batch, but instead started cutting up nuts and throwing things into a bowl.  This is the recipe that I 'sort of' used, but since I had walnuts, cashews, pecans and almonds I added them all. I also put in the dried cranberries (my addition) and raisins before I read the recipe and saw that it said to put them in at the end (woops), so then I proceeded to attempt to pull as many out as possible.  That would be why in the picture there are very few raisins.  There will be loads in the finished product. I like raisins...a lot.  The whole thing took 5 minutes tops to throw together.  The only 'tough' part is sticking around to stir it every 15 minutes.
Dear Alton, thanks for a great recipe.  I think the maple syrup base instead of another type of sugar won me over. Maybe you could make this a little healthier? Maybe next time I'll throw some stevia in the syrup instead of the brown sugar.  I also sort of fudged on the measurements since granola is NOT an exact science.

Click here for website

Ingredients

• 3 cups rolled oats
• 1 cup slivered almonds
• 1 cup cashews
• 3/4 cup shredded sweet coconut (I used unsweetened)
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup raisins

Directions

Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.

In a large bowl, combine the oats, nuts, coconut, and brown sugar.

In a separate bowl, combine maple syrup, oil, and salt. Combine both mixtures and pour onto 2 sheet pans. Cook for 1 hour and 15 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes to achieve an even color.

Remove from oven and transfer into a large bowl. Add raisins and mix until evenly distributed.

My advice in making granola--shake it up!  Put in your favorite nuts, not just what the recipe says.  I didn't add salt...it didn't need it and neither do we!  My other advice and the most important advice is STIR THE GRANOLA while it is cooking, otherwise you could end up with the molten mess discussed above, and no one wants to clean that up.   

before cooking...looking yummy!

On another fr ont...my cat is hilarious.  What you thought you'd get through a post without reading about the infamous Newton? Come on people.  

So my kitty has this ratty old teeny hairband that he stole from my cousin, and since he drooled all over it, my aunt wasn't exactly clamoring to get it back, although I did offer.  This little teeny pink hairband has moved with us from WV and just randomly shows up until Newton yet again, loses it.  He found it again this morning when I lifted up a laundry basket and it was underneath.  How did it get under the laundry basket? Your guess is as good as mine.  Anyways, here are some pictures right before he once again lost it under the couch. I was going to ask my husband to get up off the couch so I could get it out, then I remembered that my husband is working and my cat is...spoiled.  He will have to do without for now.  

See the tiny ratty pink hairband? It is almost gray now because of him carrying it around and spitting it back out.  

The second he realized he lost it (and part of my husband's leg..sorry hun).  He spent the next 5 minutes staring at me, under the couch and back at me sadly.  He is pretty pitiful when he wants to be. 

I made my own ice cream!!

About a month ago we bought a Vitamix CIA Professional Countertop Blender with 2+ HP Motor, Platinum and I'm in LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE!!
What won my husband over?  Orange Julius.  As a kid he LOVED the drink Orange Julius, and after we saw how they used a vitamix at DQ to make them he was completely and utterly won over.
Moving on...today after making my hubby a breakfast Orange Julius, which he liked so much he paid me for it (hehehe), I decided I wanted to make some sorbet.
I threw in
5 big frozen strawberries (I bought a ginormous bag from Costco)
1 banana
1 tsp vanilla
1 splash of milk (I wasn't sure it would blend well without)
turn on blender, use tamper to push the flying strawberries into the blades and 20-30 seconds later, BOOM, you've got a frozen delicious fat free nummy dessert (or breakfast in my case).
The one ingredient soft serve ice cream recipe that is blended frozen bananas is going around on the web, and I wanted to make my own delicious version with strawberries.  It...was...awesome, and as you can see in the picture, quite pretty.

You can see the consistency--it was thicker than a smoothie and had to be eaten with a spoon

Spot the cute kitty....

and because everyone likes pictures of kitties...here is one I  took yesterday of Newton...

And my lap warmer, who spent most of the day laying next to me keeping me from getting anything done.

It's my life...

It seems I've gotten some new readers lately! Thank you for coming over, commenting and making me feel like I'm not just talking to myself (I worry about that at times...).


Project update:
Yesterday I made another two chain-link earrings. My friend requested gold ones, so I picked up some gold hoops, and will make her some soon.  I'm heading out to visit her this weekend, so I'll have pictures before then.
I finally finished my friend's afghan. I can't wait to give it to them for their baby girl.  Now I'm working on another one for another friend who is expecting.  Lots of babies!! It is helping me get some experience in reading patterns, making my own, and it means that my blanket when I have a baby is going to look fantastic!

different sized rings

Second baby blanket--I like the colors and finally started using more than one!

there are beads on the bottom one..

Other Updates:
Phentermine
I wrote a post awhile ago about my experience using phentermine to help me lose weight. I lost almost 40 pounds and I am convinced that the medicine's metabolism increasing effects are responsible. Yeah, I went to the gym a lot, and was careful about what I was eating, but I was doing that before and it didn't seem to make ANY different.  I went to a new doctor the other day and I was NOT impressed with how myself, and other patients were treated.  The doctor answered the phone while I was in his office.  Not once, not twice, but THREE times.  What the hell! I wait an hour to see you, and you answer your phone? I also get that this guy is used to giving people lectures on this medicine and has it memorized, but you think perhaps taking a little history, learning something about me other than my blood pressure and listening to my lungs might be helpful? I just worry about people abusing this system, which seems incredibly easy.  Both doctors I have gone to to get phentermine seemed a little on the skeezy side, and that really bothers me.

Yoga!
Today was our third class (last week was cancelled) but our normal teacher was away at a retreat and we had a substitute. I believe if this woman was my regular teacher, that I wouldn't have come back after the first class.  Our normal teacher knows our health issues and has eased us into yoga, taking care to make sure that we are as comfortable as possible in the process. I felt quite rushed today, and we did it a lot faster than normal as well.  Plus, she didn't seem at all sympathetic to our wrists hurting after having us do downward facing dog and planks for 10 minutes. I'm very glad that my regular teacher taught me stuff that helps protect my back, wrists etc so that I didn't get injured.  I'm rather competitive and won't sit out, and will suffer later.  After class we were discussing in the changing room that the class was much more difficult and face paced than normal, and we missed our regular teacher who leave you with a smile on your face and feeling relaxed. Instead, a little tmi here, but my butt muscles are so so so sore!  So many lunges, so little time.

Weird Cat
Our older cat is acting odd.  I'm not sure if some outside noise has him scared, or if he sick or just a strange cat.  He is a very very talkative kitty that is suddenly silent.  Utterly and completely silent. He hasn't made any noise all day.  I've picked him up(he HATES being picked up and meowels), squeezed him (usually he'll at least sqeek), pet him, tried giving him treats, wet food, love...everything. He wouldn't even come out from hiding for fresh wet food, which he normally will bum rush you and trip you for.  My hubby is giving him love in the basement, but if he isn't back to his normal annoying self soon, we'll have to take him to the vets.  Funny that I'm complaining about the cat being quiet since normally his annoys the hell out of me with his constant yeowling.  Odd the things we miss.

Misc.
I've been feeling unmotivated to cook this week, and we are down on produce so I don't have any more recipes to post.  My husband surprised me by taking me for kabobs last night and then bringing home left over pizza today, so I haven't 'had' to cook.  I'm thinking it is painkiller time, and a really hot bath so I can stand tomorrow.  I even scheduled my chiropractor appointment tomorrow, rightfully assuming that I'd be sore.
This weekend I hope to go to WV, and have a good time. My husband has no interest what so ever in sports, so at least I'll get to watch the superbowl with friends. Thats all folks!


And here I leave you with a picture of my Newton...doing what he does best--playing fetch. He likes to pick up this ratty hair band he stole from my cousin and he will put the entire thing in his mouth and then basically spit it out and expect you to fling it around the house for him to chase...

The hairband is IN his mouth.  Silly kitty...